Teenagers “running riot” through Belfast Royal Victoria Hospital are causing concerns for the safety of patients, visitors and staff.
Groups of between five and 15 are reported to gather in the hospital’s reception, corridors and stairwells at night to use the free wifi, charge their phones and at times take drugs.
It is understood one group threw chairs at each other in the canteen last week and parts of the hospital have had to repainted to cover graffiti and burn marks on the walls.
A patient’s relative, who asked to remain anonymous, has called for security at the door to protect people from “these kids running wild”.
She added: “I have had someone in the hospital for months and every single night there are kids going in - between five and 15 of them, all teenagers, boys and girls - just causing havoc.
“A lot of them are off their heads on drugs and a lot of them are just teenagers with nothing better to do. But it's intimidating and must be for the staff as well.
“It’s bad enough the amount of people who come in off their faces - that’s scary - but young lads are coming in and taking drugs in reception.
“There was an occasion when younger kids were running in and out of the shop stealing.
“They are going into the toilets and throwing toilet paper everywhere and making a mess.
“Last Thursday night they were throwing stuff in the canteen and the night before they were throwing chairs and broke a chair in the canteen.
“I don’t know if they were drinking, but they were burning walls in the stairwell and writing their names on the walls.
“It was that bad the Trust built a cupboard to stop them going in there and doing it. You want to have seen what it was like.
“A few weeks ago they were running wild in reception.
“They were running up to level two and back down to reception and near knocked some wee woman flying.
“It’s the same kids all the time and I just think parents need to know where they are at night. Why come into a hospital and cause havoc? There are sick people there.
“It’s a disgrace. You have a sick relative and you are worried about them, but if you try and sit in reception to have a break away from the ward, then this group of 10-15 kids come in and run riot.
“A fella in the canteen last week had to get up and walk out because he said there’s that many of them he felt intimidated.
“He only had one leg and was a patient in the hospital.
“I have asked reception to get it sorted, but what can they do when they are sitting there by themselves at night?
“It’s an absolute joke there’s no security guard.
“There is only one way in and out at night apart from A&E and if they had a security man on the door it would help.
“I have been there on nights when the kids are running wild. It’s getting to be beyond a joke and I just thought somebody needs to say something.
“They don’t have a security man stationed in reception.
“Drunks and drug addicts come in as well but they don’t have a security guard that patrols."
Belfast Live visited the hospital on Monday night, when we spotted a number of groups in seated nooks off the level one corridor, but no trouble flared while we were there.
A Belfast Trust spokesperson, however, admitted it is an ongoing issue that “adds to the distress of patients and visitors” and is “very unsettling for staff”.
They added: “Security staff at the Royal Victoria Hospital have dealt with an increase in anti-social behaviour by a small group of youths in the last few weeks.
“Incidents have been reported to the PSNI and the Trust has provided assistance in identifying the youths.”
They said that “some measures are being taken to restrict access to areas where the youths had been congregating” and that “additional CCTV is being installed to assist security staff”.
“Belfast Trust will not tolerate abuse of staff and disruption to our service,” they added.
“We are constantly reviewing our security measures to ensure easy access to the site for those who have a genuine reason for being there while still maintaining a safe environment.
“We would appeal to those involved in this disruptive behaviour to think about the impact their activities have on our patients and staff.”
Police said they were unable to provide a comment.
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